OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Marlin Club’s 25th Annual Canyon Kick-off tournament last weekend was a huge success with one of the biggest fields of participants ever and plenty of fish caught in several categories.
The event officially got started with the first day of fishing last Friday, but the remnants of the storm that persisted in the area last week kept just about every boat participating in the Canyon Kick-Off at the docks. With Friday a wash, the scheduled three-day tournament was essentially turned into a two-day event, but there was no shortage of fish caught. A record 89 boats participated and nearly $70,000 in prize money was doled out in several categories.
After the fishing was completed on Sunday afternoon, an awards banquet was held at the Ocean City Marlin Club and honors were handed out to several boats in several categories including a couple that placed in more than one. In the Billfish Points division, it was the crew on the “Chasin Tails” coming in first with 200 points, while the “Kingfisher” came in second with 150 release points and the “Instrinsic” came in third with 100 points.
In the Tuna Division, the “Last Call” took first with a 70-pounder, while two boats, the “Reel Direct” and the “Pool Party” shared second place with each catching a 64-pounder. Three teams caught a 62-pound tuna and shared third place including the “Second Chance,” the “Chasin Tails,” and the “Foolish Pleasure.”
The crew aboard the “Squid Nation” took first place in the Dolphin Division with a 21-pounder, while the “Notorious” and the “Foolish Pleasure” each brought in a 19-pounder and shared second place. The “Chasin Tails,” which placed in three categories including a first-place finish in the Billfish Points division, came in fourth in the dolphin division with a 17-pounder.
The “Lisa” took the Bluefin Division with a 61-pounder, while the “Sea Hunt” took the Wahoo division with a 44-pounder.